Archive for ‘Gratitude’

54 Years

By J.R., 9 August, 2010, No Comment

I received a great email a few weeks ago from a lady at Freedom. I wanted to pass it along. It’s a great reminder.

Pastor JR,
Message today was right on. I want to share my story about giving…I have been a tither (10%) since I accepted Christ in 1955 – even though I had three small children and lost my husband only 1 1/2 month’s after I accepted Christ.  I have never become wealthy, but my needs have always been met. When I get my Social Security and retirement checks, the tithe comes out first.
If we put God first in our finances, he promises to meet our needs. Maybe not all our wants, but all our needs. It just seems to make the rest of the money’s go further. At least that is what I have found to be true over 54 years of trusting the Lord. Mal 3:10 says, Bring all the tithes into the storehouse so there may be food in my house, and test me now with this, says the Lord, if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.  This is the message I heard back then and it hasn’t changed over the years. God is faithful to His word. When things get tough, He always has made a way, it would be hard to not trust Him after over 54 years of His being faithful to His word.  He always has been and He always will be.

The New Normal

By J.R., 21 July, 2009, No Comment

People are accident prone.  I’m not referring to tripping on the sidewalk as much as I am our propensity to disregard God, choose our own way, and do extensive damage to ourselves and those we love.  The craziest situations imaginable are becoming the new normal.  What might have shocked us several years ago is now a nightly occurrence not just on the news – but in our lives.

The good news for us is that this is where grace kicks in.  The more messed up you are – the more likely you are to recognize your reliance on the grace of God.

Think knowing that you are filled with faults is a problem?  Not knowing is far more problematic…

C.S. Lewis wrote, “When a man is getting better he understands more and more clearly the evil that is still left in him.  When a man is getting worse he understands his own badness less and less.”

I know who I am and because of that – I am EXTREMELY grateful for the grace of God.  I think you should be too.

Mothers Day

By J.R., 8 May, 2009, No Comment

fullofit

Don’t miss Mother’s Day at Freedom!

Doesn’t matter if you are a young mom, older mom, not a mom, or not even a woman – this is going to be a great week.  See you Sunday at 9:30 or 11:00.

The Blessed Life

By J.R., 28 April, 2009, 2 Comments

the-blessed-life

Back in October, I read a book that completely changed my perception of generosity.

The book was entitled The Blessed Life and it is a fantastic read!  Actually, I loved it so much that I bought about 50 copies and gave them away.  Now, almost 6 months later – I want to do it again.  If you are in any way affiliated with Freedom – and will leave me a comment and/or an email – I will personally purchase a copy for you to have.  That’s a deal you can’t refuse!

If you would love the book, but don’t go to Freedom – check it here.

Discipline of Celebration

By J.R., 16 April, 2009, No Comment

Things are always busy at Freedom Church.  It doesn’t slow down very much – actually I am not sure if it ever has.

With amazing regularity, Sunday shows up every 7 days and since we take the opportunity so seriously – we put everything we have into making each and every worship experience the best that it can be.  The moment Sunday is past – thoughts move to the upcoming week.  Set lists, message prep, stage design, creative elements, and the list goes on and on.

Stopping to celebrate doesn’t come naturally to me – not even a little. We consistently see God do incredible things.  If I am not VERY careful, I pray fervently for God to do a miracle on our behalf, then when He does, I move on to the next thing without stopping to express gratitude.

That being said, I am being forced to learn the discipline of celebration.  When God gives us a reason to party – I better stop ignoring the invitation.  If I don’t, I might stop receiving them.

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